Community chips in to help fix Windsor accessible bus damaged by vandals

A Windsor, N.S., charity will soon be able to offer rides in its Poppy Busto seniors and people with disabilities after someone made offwith the vehicle's catalytic converter last weekend.

The Windsor Senior CitizenBusSociety said Friday it's received $6,000 in donations from a local business and an organization to help repair the bus, which was vandalized last weekend.

Leslie Porter, society chair, said she is grateful for the donations but saddened they were needed in the first place.

"It affects the community," she said."All that money that, you know, is going towards this cause could have went to another cause that may possibly have needed the money, as well."

The bus, which is decorated with largered poppies in honour of Canada's veterans, was parked at the XL Truck and Equipment Services lot in the Windsor Industrial Park when the theft occurred.

There have been a number of catalytic converter thefts in the area in recent weeks.

Porter estimated the busrepairs at $10,000the same as the group's averagefundraising total for the year.Even with insurance coverage, shefeared the deductible would eat up all of the group's available funds.

Donors come forward

In the last couple of days, the society has received two offers of financial help.

Porter saidJonathan andEmelieDeMont of theDeMont Family Funeral Home andCremation Service in Windsor donated $1,000 toward the repair.

That was followed by a$5,000 donation from the Windsor Rotary Club$4,000 of which is to cover the insurance deductible and $1,000 to increase security around the bus storage area.

Portersaid the catalytic converter has already arrived at the repair shop, but other parts that were damaged during the theftare still on order.

She estimatedthe repairs should be completed in a week or two, and the bus will, once again, be able to provide service to people across the province as the weather warms up.

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